With Beirut Design Week approaching, FashionRepublik taps on one of the artists that will be showing this year, Lebanese Jules Bakhos, an artist that has long been drawn to pop culture and its impact on our lives.

His works explore icons, trends and mediums like few others. Much of Bakhos’ work is produced in mixed media, ripped up magazines, cigarette packs and the like. Additional layers of street- and pop-inspired art then adorns each and every piece, creating something truly unique. The never-ending drama of his homeland is not directly referenced in his work, but rather the desire for stability and a dedication to the consumption of media is clear to see.

The work all gives off a sense of fluidity, one that is balanced between the past and present, cultures and lifestyles. It might sound like a cliché, but Beirut really is a city positioned between cultures and ways of life, a vibrant place that never sits still. Bakhos’ work is, in many ways, a product of his city.

The artist first started making a name for himself a couple of years ago with an exhibition titled “Paperplanes”. It’s an “honest look at both our past and present”, the exhibition explored how pop culture references have become interwoven into our daily lives. As life has become ever more frantic, we are bombarded by imagery and ideas like never before. Gone are relaxed, old-fashioned cartoons, replaced with a never-ending series of ideas and images.

“In a world where everything has become disposable, we have grown indifferent to consequences; only seeking instant gratification during a time when the only thing that matters is what’s coming next,” says Bakhos.

Certain icons have come to represent our generation, one that grew up as technology exploded as never before. Because of our overexposure we have grown numb and cynical.